Football: CU Buffs have gone through 'growing pains' in 2012

Coach Embree shoulders blame for Colorado struggles

Jon Embree figured this would be a tough year for Colorado football, but the Buffaloes' head coach isn't passing blame on anyone else.

CU (1-10, 1-7 Pac-12) will host Utah (4-7, 2-6) on Friday at 1 p.m. at Folsom Field in the final game of what can only be described as a terrible year for the Buffs.

"I look at it as growing pains, but I take all the responsibility," Embree said Tuesday at his weekly press conference. "It's still not good enough."

Colorado has lost seven in a row, all of them in blowout fashion. The closest game in the streak was a 25-loss at Arizona. Six of the seven opponents scored at least 42 points, with Washington netting just 38 last Saturday at Folsom Field.

Embree said he has seen subtle improvements from his team this year and he hopes the Buffs can rise up like they did in the 2011 finale and upset the Utes.

"Things really just clicked," he said of last year's 17-14 win at Salt Lake City. "We talked about every team has a limit as far as how long you're together. We had 3 1/2 hours left and then this team was done. We talked about what that looks like three or four years down the road and some of the different things they'll think about and reflect on."

Embree said he would talk to the team Wednesday and Thursday night and that the seniors would all have an opportunity to address the team.

Follow Brian on Twitter: @BrianHowell33.

CU football head coach Jon Embree answers questions at his weekly press conference at the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colorado November 20, 2012. (Mark Leffingwell / Daily Camera)

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